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28 Days Into NaNoWriMo - My Conclusion

November 28, 2016

I just beat NaNoWriMo 2016 and I am so exhausted. Soexhausted. *collapses* Enjoy my nonsensical rambling (I promise I'm more coherent when it's not the middle of NaNo xD)

Day 1. I was totally ready to go. My story was going to rock and I couldn't wait to get started. Everything was wonderful and glorious and I basically was wheeling around in excitement, ready to try and write 50k with a bunch of other insane writers.

The wiser people laughed and told me 'there is no way you will end up with that same attitude at the end of the month'.
These wise people were correct. Because then came the writer's block. For those of you who don't know, writer's block is not good during NaNoWriMo. Not good. Also, my characters decided to run off and leave me wondering where I was, lost in the middle of some strange story.

But I carried on and tried as well as I could to wrangle and beat my story into shape. My characters beat me right back, and mostly nothing got done. Somehow. This seemed wrong to me.

But I think my characters just wanted a smarter author who wouldn't force them to behave for the whole of November. Especially when the author had no idea whatsoever about what was going on in her story.

my characters, complaining about me

Anyways. Somehow the days kept rolling by, and soon enough I came to the last week of NaNoWriMo (not sure how that happened. I was kind of in a daze, I think) - and I was behind on my word-count. Which I had told myself I wouldn't do. But somehow it had happened, and I was internally freaking out.

So I sat down and had a nice little chat with my characters, and promised them candy if they would just behave (last resorts, people, last resorts). Of course, they said no.
So I sharpened my sword pen, decided not to take no for an answer, and went at it with all I had.

Maybe it was my magic Legolas sword that helped - or maybe it was just that my characters thought they might as well indulge me for just one week - but I finished my story.
I repeat, Savannah Grace completed NaNoWriMo 2016 (not sure how many of my brain cells survived through this endeavor, but still *shrugs*).

But all NaNoWriMo writers know what it feels like to finish a story during this crazy November event. We kind of look at the 50k words we just wrote, and we're not sure what to think.
I don't even know how half of my scenes (... or characters ...) got into my story, and half the characters I'm simply annoyed at xD.

Anyways. That was my little adventure (*cough* that took up the whole month *cough*). I don't know how much of my sanity is left after all that, but insane writers are the best writers.

Also, BIG thank yous to all the writers who encouraged me to keep going during the whole of November, especially to all of you in the Hangout (and to my sister Skylar for surprising me with gel pens when I finally beat NaNo). Without all of those crazy word sprints (and our ridiculous/writer-ly conversations) I definitely wouldn't have made it xD. You're all the best!

*deep breath* Okay, I'm done. And I may or may not be sharing some snippets from The Dreamer's Game in my next Monthly Highlights posts - so be on the look out for those *nodnod*.

~ Savannah Grace

How was your NaNoWriMo adventure, friends? Are you ready to start editing, or are you simply blocking all thoughts of it? If you didn't do NaNo this year, are you going to next year?

Oh, writing. Probably the most encouraging thing I can say is that I'm nodding in agreement. Stories can be the peskiest. thing. ever. No one in my family seemed to understand it when I finished Cat's Forest and said, "I don't like it." Seriously though, my characters. >:( I think there's only two characters in the WHOLE STORY that I like, and I'm not more or less mad at.

I'm sure The Dreamer's Game is great, and I WANT SNIPPETS! Pretty please?

Aren't they? Sometimes my stories seem to all be out to get me *shakes head*. OOH, I totally understand you saying 'I don't like it' when you finished Cat's Forest - I've done that to my stories before because sometimes they're just ANNOYING. And two characters is better than none :D. Any idea when you'll post Cat's Forest? I NEED TO READ IT :D.

YAYYYY you finished NaNo!!!! *confetti* *all the fireworks from Gandalf* *and doughnuts because DOUGHNUTS* Looooove the GIFs and this whole post in general! Great job on reaching the finish line, girl!! =)-Ariel

*claps* Hmm...OF COURSE! I'm so excited for the day when it's ready for the eyes of some of the world. :P It'll be a while, and book 1 will be heading your way first, naturally. BUT SO MUCH EXCITEMENT. Also editing. But we'll ignore that for now.

*can now make a comment now that I made it to 50k* SO HAPPY FOR YOU! And we're like, almost NaNo twins because we made it on the same day- but you're older :) XD I love all of your gifs! They all are exactly the right thing for each section. *nods* You start out excited, and are freaking out most of the way through. I had such a blast with you, and so glad you joined the hangout!

As for me, I am slightly dreading the editing process. I think it might be best if I print it all out and edit it that way. I really want the next draft done by this coming summer though.

YES I DID! *dies of exhaustion* *but still dances in all the sweet treats because I NEED SUGAR OVER HERE*

Thank you so much, Lauri! *squeals over the encouraging Christine comment* I'm so exited to be finished, but kinda sad that's over xD. And OH MY GOODNESS, CONGRATS TO YOU, TOO! I've been kind slacking on commenting on blogs (sowwy - but I still blame NaNo for all that), but I've been reading your posts and YOU ARE EPIC for hitting 100K!

THAT IS SO INCREDIBLE SAVANNAH!!!! That is absolutely awesome. I didn't really complete Nano...or even my goal. But I think I'm not going to beat myself too much over it BECAUSE AND ONLY BECAUSE we moved like smack dab in the middle of November and then my computer wasn't even set up for like a week and half. SOOO whatever I guess :) There's always next year. (WHAT AM I SAYING EVEN.)

THANK YOU SO MUCH, AUTUMN! OH WOW - you had to move in the middle of November? Then I congratulate you for being able to write at all - I would have totally given up on even trying xD. Plus SOME WORDS IS BETTER THAN NONE. So you did great :D. And I can't wait for next year (EVEN IF IT WILL BE INSANE xD)!